Korea!
After a pretty tough summer filled with pondering and replanning, we ended up in Korea. The plans to move to the USA was chrushed after a to me weird migration-system, where the ones who will and will not get the work visa is decided by lottery. We weren't lucky enough, Issac didn't get the visa he needed to stay there. But getting a visa to move to one's partner in Sweden takes 11 months according to the Swedish migration boards webpage. Eleven months!! We are only hoping it might be faster for us. The problem is the military service in Korea which Issac hasn't done yet, and does not want to do. He can only stay in Korea for two months before they will call him in, so by end of September/beginning of October we will move on to next country.
Well, that was just an introduction to our current situation. Now, to my experience of Korea so far. I arrived last Friday in the afternoon in Incheon - the international airport of Korea. It is actually an artificial island made for the single purpose of being used as the one big airport in and out of Korea. There Issac and his parents met me, and the parents sure are sweet and nice! They gave me a warm welcome and have been treating me very kindly. I feel blessed having them as my (soon to be) parents-in-law. Although they don't know much English, and my Korean is very limited, we are able to communicate. Mostly with the help of Issac as an translator of course.
Issac, his dad and his mum, celebrating Issac's birthday a few days late so I could join too.
On the first night we ate dinner in Incheon, and as it is famous for sea food, we ate shrimp and fish. The restaurant we ate in was a typical Korean out-door restaurant. A big tent and under the tent plastic tables and stools are placed, and each table has one or two grills on it. So the idea is to buy the seafood fresh directly at the spot and then grill it yourself on the table. And fresh it was, in fact it couldn't get any fresher because the shrimps came in a pot with salt on it and placed on the grill - when the shrimps was STILL ALIVE. The salt already must have been hurtful, and being grilled alive, popping around in the pot like pop-corn. It could have made almost anyone go vegetarian (at least for the night) right on the spot if it wasn't the very first dinner with the parents-in-law. Once cooked however, if one ignored the fact how they just was tortured to death, they did taste good. Shrimps was also ordered in to be eaten raw, but when they too came in a bucket ALIVE, and we were supposed to picked them up and well....eat them as they moved, my fiance said stop and sent it back. That was just too much, even for a Korean like himself. He ordered grilled fish instead, that this time came already dead and grilled, so we only needed to warm it up on our own grill.
After a two hour drive we came to the small town Chungju, which is where the parents live in. It's located almost in the middle of Korea, further south than the main capital Seoul. Here is some pictures of the house they live in and the surrounding area.
They live on the upper floor, on the first floor the land lord lives.
These pictures below are taking from the roof
Leftover pictures
This will be the last blogg update from the States this time. Below I have some pictures that I have taken earlier but not yet uploaded here. So enjoy :)
A cherry blossom tree outside our window
Flowers on the street
Unhealthy (but very filling) American breakfast!
Healtier American breakfast, with omelette, smashed hash brown (eller potatisbullar), and fruitsalad.
When we grocery shop, we usually go to either two nearby places that sells a lot of organic, ecologic and even vegan products. Other than the meat, it's not actually much more expensive than other store's non-organic products. Although it's always hard to know how thrustworthy they are (is it really organic or just a higher price for the same kind carrots?), but these two stores seems to be driven by some kind of hippies so maybe they are.
The third store we go to to grocery shop, is a Korean supermarket called H-Mart. It's a bit far away from where we live, so we only go there on weekends. Here we can find all delicious (and sometimes a bit weird for me) Korean and Asian products.
Cute way of making people buy these beans!
Thank you so much for following my blogg during this easter holiday. I hope you enjoyed it!
Love, Annika
Biking
There are flowers on the trees and the sun is shining, we enjoyed this nice weather last Sunday with renting bicycles and biked along the river.
This day there was a canoe compention going on among highschoolers.
And their audience was great with many people, tents and food being sold. The walkway was almost blocked half the distance of this side of the river.
Old bridge
Checking the map
Finally made it to a bridge so we could pass over to the other side of the river. For some reason, the road on this side was blocked for cars, even though the audience for the competion was on the other side. So everyone on a bicycle could freely enjoy biking at any speed preferable.
Tried to take some pictures from my bike...
Honestly, this day was so warm that even the long but thin sweatpants I was wearing was too warm. I got sunburn on my arms, neck and nose! It really was Swedish summer weather, but it's only spring, so this was a reminder how awfully warm summer will be here. It cooled down during Monday and Tuesday with rain and got quite chilly again. Today it's sunny weather, but the weather report says it's only 7 degrees.
Tomorrow I will begin the 12 hours long flight trip back to Sweden.
Atlantic city
During our last weekend together before I will go back home again, we took a trip to Atlantic city. There is a train that goes from Philadeplhia to Atlantic city and takes about 2 hours. The tickets was really cheap in our Swedish standard: 10 dollars per person one trip, which is about 60 kr. Or should I say, about the same price it costs to just travel within Stockholm...
Atlantic city is famous for the beach as it is right next to the ocean, and for the casinos! My first time ever visiting a casino, and indeed it looked just like in the movies! All that was missing was some professional gambles counting cards and running away with the money. The people I saw when I was there was just normal middleclass people stubbornly sitting infront of the machines and pushing the play buttoms over and over again. I bet the casinos are making a lot of money on them.
Can I solve my tuition for Upenn with this machine?
No. Life never has been that easy.
But we invested about 6 dollars trying different machines and on one of them we won "10 free games" twice in a row. So while we where sitting there all confused, not understanding what was going on, the machine played twenty games automatically and then printed this check for us! HAH! We won 30 dollars!! That's almost what the trip back and forth for us two cost.
Better stop while you still are winning, right? Right outside the casinos is the beach and the ocean. The weather was really nice, blue sky and it was quite warm in the sun. But the wind was strong and chilly.
The casino where we won some money
Collecting shells of course, it is a must when you come to the beach!
Pointing at the wrong building haha.
Trying to do a cool pose I think hehe
Another casino called "Taj Mahal"
Interesting building, it's a freak show inside where they do things that you didn't believe was possible. We have passed by the same show in NY last summer. Then, there was a guy pushing a nail into his nose. I uploaded pictures on the blogg if you remember. This time, there wasn't any street performance outside their theater, but the building is still interesting.
Pretty buildings
Funny faces~
Inside a shopping mall.
Eating a Philly Cheese Steak. It's minced beef fried with cheese in a baguette.
The view from the food court in the shopping mall. Right infront of the windows is a small walkway with sand and chairs, so you can feel like you are on the beach even if it's to cold or hot outside. Clever!
Korean exhibition at Philadelphia Art Museum
This spring the Art museum have an exhibition about the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, and of course we had to go there. Unsuprisingly, I was more interested in everything than Issac was, since he as a Korean already knows about it all and have seen similar things before. For me, it was a mixture of a reminder of what I have learned and still learn in the classes I take about Korea, and some new things I didn't know about before. It was anyway a very interesting and actually quite big exhibition, far bigger than what the East Asian museum in Stockholm has. Although this one is just temporary unfortunately.
A buddha banner above the stairs right at the entrance of the museum.
I was not allowed to take pictures inside the exhibition so these are the only ones I have. At the end of the exhibition however, there were machines where you can find out what your Korean name is. Hangul, as the Korean written language is called, is not characters as Chinese but instead an alphabet with just different symbols than ours. I already know how to write my name of course, but I tried the machine anyway just for fun. With the privilege of having a Korean boyfriend standing right next to you, he corrected the machine and rewrote my name with just one "n" to get the proper pronounciation in Korean that is most similar to how it is pronounced in Swedish. The machine was a touch-screen and the strokes you made turned into calligraphy strokes. Now I have taken calligraphy classes in China (not that I'm good at it or anything), but it even was harder on the touch-screen. Not to mention that the calligraphy might be different in China and in Korea... oh well I tried my best!
This day, the evening was so warm we ate outside! Although it next to a road, but the traffic at this street wasn't so bad.
This was a very, very juicy burger. I tried to squeeze it together so it can fit in my mouth, but so much juice came out. I had no choice but to stretch my jaws wide open to almost be able to take a full bite. My jaws hurted, but the burger was seriously good!
Museums and art
We went to Rodin museum again. Last summer we past by once, but this time the gates was open so we could see The Gate of Hell closer up. This artist is French, and made pretty much only art sculptures that carries a deep depressed feeling.
First, you read the description below....
...and then look at the art. I can totally see what he intended....or not. Not at all. If that is a person, isn't she being crushed by a rock??
Selfie!
And then we went to the Franklin Institute, a museum dedicated in honor of Mr. Franklin.
Statue of Benjamin Frankling
In this museum we saw the exhibition about Pompei, the city during Roman Empire that was covered by lava when a vulcano nearby suddenly erupted. The whole city was covered by several of layer of dust and dirt and lava, and the citizen dying from the heat froze in their escaping positions. As horrible as it is, it allows us thousans of years later to see exactly how the houses, interior, decorations, market place etc. looked like back then. It was interesting, everything but the last room with the people escaping, that was just sad.
Other parts of the museum was more similar to our "Tom Tits" in Stockholm (or more outside it). IT had a lot of play, touch and test it yourself for the kids to understand gravity and so on.
Making a heart for you back home~
I don't remember if I have taken pictures of these graffiti walls before, but the art amaze me every time I pass by.
Finishing with pictures of my love during a coffee break, hehe, and our dinner.
We ate at a pizzeria, and this is one below is called "strombolli". It's basically a calzone, but smaller and with the filling more stuffed and packed inside. It was good!
Harrisburg
So we went to Harrisburg last weekend. We took bus as usual back and forth between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, and as usual the bus was late. Really, I think because many Americans drives their cars instead of taking buses, only people who can't afford more takes the bus and thus the bus companies doesn't have to care as much about service. We made a bet how late it would be, and I won. A half hour late! Although, if you already are prepared that they will be late, it isn't as frustrating. Only sad thing is, if the service is bad, then most people will continue to drive their cars instead of taking the buses, and the service will continue to be bad. And of course, it's not good for environment.
Anyway, after arriving in Harrisburg we tried out an Italian restaurant nearby. The waiter was new, it was made obvious by the almost too much attention and service he gave us. Usually one wouldn't complain about too much service, but this poor guy really tried to hard and made us a little bit uncomfortable coming to our table all the time. Well, the food tasted great. First the free garlic hummus with chili and olive oil and bread,
and the pulled pork sandwhich that Issac ordered. It really was delicious.
I ordered sweet potato pasta, and the taste was great but..... hey... I thought it was one of the main dishes? The size is more of an appetizer.... Yep, as you can see on the picture, I was only given FIVE raviolis! Seriously...
The weather wasn't so nice during the weekend, as expected of course. Out of seven days, the two days that are weekend days just simply can't be good I guess. In a post a week ago, I wrote that spring had arrived and the temperature was already 19 degrees. Well this weekend it was down to 6 degrees, with rain and chilly wind. Seems like the weather changes back and forth between winter and spring just as much as it does in Sweden. How unlucky, haha. Isn't it every Swedes dream to for once live in a place that have a stable and nice weather all the time? Oh well, when it comes to weather, there is nothing to be jealous about living in Philadelphia at least.
I thought it looked a bit odd and funny with an old traditional church between modern age normal buildings. But there was many churches places like this in Harrisburg city.
Even though I spent about an month in Harrisburg last summer, I never walked around in the town. So here we are, visiting the city hall.
Inside the city hall. Fancy!
In here, all senates and representatives of the Pennsylvania state works.
We got sneak peek-a-bo into the offices when we walked past as the workers when in and out of their rooms. They were all reall, really fancy, and fanciest of them all was of course the govenor's office.
A mini Christmas villiage and electric trains inside the train station.
Interestingly, there were many scales around trains stations and bus stations. One of them even had the sign "Doctors recommend you to weight yourself once a week". I don't know if this is a way trying to make Americans more aware of obsesity, but who would actually weight themselves like this in public?? Not to mention, you have to pay a few pennies too for it to work! Cheap haha.
We didn't do much in Harrisburg, mostly just visited people. First day we went to the bible study for college kids in the Korean church Issac used to go to. The pastor really knew how to make a person shy and embarrased, by asking me infront of everyone about Issac's good and bad sides. My face was burning red and even worse, two students afterwards tried to show their comfort by saying "Your face was so red". Haaah... But they were nice, the pastor too. We went to the same church on Sunday morning too for the service and ate lunch there too.
Breakfast a la Lancester (made by the hostmum's boyfriend who is from Lancester. Lancester is a small town nearby). It's baked oatmeal made in oven with cinnamon and sugar, served with fresh strawberries and milk. It was good! But very sweet of course.
Saturday evening we ate dinner out with the hostmum, her boyfriend, two of her daugthers and their boyfriend and husband. In the States, Mexican food is really popular, but surely Americansized because it's not spicy. They all seemed to understand the meny perfectly too even though the names was mostly in spanish. I tried to read the description but most of it just seemed like burritos for me? So I just took a guess and pointed something out, but it turned out to be really delicious!
My dish
Issac's dish, which included a seperate plate with grilled meat and veggies.
They called this "Mexican coke". I thought it was another brand located in Mexico, but it's just the same coca-cola we all know. Only thing is, it was made in Mexico, but the taste was the same anyways? Tsch, I feel tricked!
I was a little late this time with updating the blogg this time, no specific reason. Everything is fine. I will update more soon!
Sushi evening
We enjoyed the beginning of the weekend with a dinner out at a sushi restaurant. I usually dont eat sushi because I'm a bit picky with it. Maybe I have been just very unlucky, but the two times I've tried sushi in Sweden it wasn't good at all. However when I was in Japan two years ago, I got to taste how delicious real sushi can be. Luckliy, there are some Japanese restaurant around here that serves almost as good sushi! Below is some pictures I took during Friday evening.
Hell's roll, with chili on the outside. All sushi plates are served with wasabi and thinly sliced ginger.
Sashimi and sushi combonation
American roll, with tempura in it!
Didn't I tell you Shemah, that I found a place in the old town of Philadeplhia that had the sign "Old original book binders"? Well here it is! But it was closed yet again when I came there! So I still don't know what it is.
Information about the founder of Philadelphia, William Penn, in a quite artsy way.
Funny!
For dessert, we went to a cafe that served frozen yougurt. It wasn't as big selection as the one we went to last summer in Harrisburg, but that made it just easier to decide I guess.
The result! We chose dark chocolate, tart and strawberry taste and mochi topping. Mochi is small cubes of flavored rice cakes.
French macaron
"Smore" is grilled marshmallow, dipped on chocolate on a cracker. It's popular among
college kids. I don't know what's up with the name though...smore???
Waah~ It was so warm people were already sitting outside at the college bar near our home.
Hold on, did I sleep for a week?
Just the other day it was winter, chilly weather and I had to wear winter coat, scarf and gloves. But all of sudden, the sun came out and spring arrived in such a high speed I almost start to question myself if I have missed some days. Or can spring arrive so fast, that just over two days burgeons on the trees shows up and flowers on the ground pops up here and there?
It was so warm out I didn't even needed a jacket, and somehow it was hot wearing even sneakers. So I checked the weather as soon as I came home, AND IT'S 19 DEGREES??? WAIT WHAT? This is summer!! At least for us Swedish people, this is summer temperature! I kind of figured that spring would be warmer here than in Sweden, since the summer here is a loooot warmer. But for spring to arrive with just two days and already being this warm? Blew my mind!
Now, I sincerely hope this weather won't play the same tricks as in Sweden, and all of sudden come back with a "second winter"!
And as for what I'm doing during the days while I'm here, it's the same old as always. Looking (a bit desperately) for scholarships and studying a bit Korean so I don't fall behind in class. I tried to visit Upenn (short for University of Pennsylvania) today too to ask some questions, but they didnt have time to see me haha. Sent them an email instead, hoping they will have time next week. This weekend we are going to visit the hostfamily though! Looking forward to see them!
Spring in Philadeplhia
So I'm here in Philadelphia again, visiting he who since last Christmas is my fiance now. :) It's of course great to be back here again, being with the one I love. But, for all Swedes who cares a great deal about the weather, it's nothing to envy. I came on Friday night, and the whole weekend it just rained endlessly.
We celebrated my arrival here with some of our favorite food: Korean-Chinese dishes!
Jjiajangmyon (짜장면) is noddles and vegetables in a black bean sauce
And Japanese schnitzel (served on top of rice and fried egg) and 탕수육 or 糖猪肉 sweet and sour fried pork
To be honest, one of the best things with dating a Korean, is that he can cook Korean food for me! Just like Chinese food the ingredients is often chopped into small pieces, but the oils and spicies used are different. Korean food is often spicy, using a chili paste called "gochujang" (고추장), and is quite healty with many vegetables and most of all very, very delicous! Below is a picture of "Royal ttoekbokki" (궁중 떡볶이) that he cooked this weekend. The "tteokbokki" that many of us foreigners know is very spicy, but even though chili is extensively used in the Korean cousine today, it was in fact introduced late to Korea. Thus tis savory dish is more authentic, and altough it's less spicy, it is still very tasteful. Oh, and it is called "royal" because it used to be severed to the King! 와~ 맛있다!
Korean cider 사이다, that have a taste close to 7up or sprite, and at the same time, not really. It's good anyway!
Monday, the first day of the week and I'm sure many of you have also felt that the weather is teasing us. Why else would it rain all the time during the weekend, and then break into blue sky and sun when it's time to work? Now, I'm not working so I can still enjoy the weather, but it would have been nice if me and Issac could have anjoyed it together. So has spring arrived to Phildelphia?
Nope. Well indoors it has, here is a big shopping mall called Macy's and they are really giving us the spring feeling we have longed for! (It's real flowers! Such a wonderful fragnant in the store!)
But outdoors? Not at all. Altough it has finally stopped snowing, and the snow in the ground has all melted, and the sun makes it a bit warmer, the wind is still very chilly and makes the weather cold. Also, there is not a single leaf on the trees. Not even burgeons!
I still make my way out and take walks in the sun, trying to not care about the strong winds here. Came across Upenn bookstore, a store filled with books and what could be called souvernirs for students at University of Pennsylvnia. Yeah, that's the school I'm attending next semester! The Americans seems to be patriotic not only about their country but also their school, and the selection of goods to buy with the school logo is amazing. What do we have at Stockholm University again? Actually other than bags I don't know, never seen students wearing or using SU logo stuff.
You can even buy expensive jewelry and watches with the logo! Wow! That's really being proud of one's school. Well, it's one of the Ivy leages after all. (Ivy leage: schools with the Ivy plants growing on the buildings which has become the ultimate trademark of the top famous schools in the US, including Upenn, Harvard etc).
As the ending picture of this update, a picture of the American cinnamon roll. A lot bigger and really a lot sweeter than our Swedish kanelbulle. Still, Swedish as I am, I have to say ours are better! ;)
Love from Philly!
Celebrating Issac's birthday with lots of meat!
If all the sugar in the ice cream wasn't enough..... here is some real sugar bombs!
Guatemalan ice cream! (Coffee ice cream with chocolate covered expresso beans - Guatemala is famous for coffee after all).
Eating at a Brazilian meat buffé to celebrate him who just turned 23!
Goods from the salad bar (Baugette, fried squash, heart of palm, salad, brocolli, mozarella cheese, tomato and gorgonzola mousse!)
Brazilian soda
In a Brazilian meat buffé, the waiters are carrying around huge chunk of meat on a big stick, and asks each and everyone if they want to try the meat they are bringing. Altogheter they had 16 different kinds of meat, including 2 kinds of fish, but I was full after trying "only" eight or nine kinds.
Ending the day with an evening walk to the river
A city filled with art
Here is some pictures of a park, art works, chocolate restaurant and evening pictures of Philadeplhia
Backside of Art museum
Front side
The stairs Rocky Balboa was training at in the movies
Statue of Washington
City hall in evening light
Philadelphia pictures
In Philly there are several of universities around, like Drexel, Temple, U-Penn etc. Closest to the city center is Drexel, their campus pratically a part of the city, and we are living right next to Drexel's campus.
This will be Issac's work place soon, Ernst & Young. He will start working there in October.
City hall
'
The most famous modern art work in Philly
Art museum at the far end
"Philly Cheese Steak"
Home
We have been going to many stores, many times, and have evaluated both price and design to find furniture and decorations to the apartment Issac is renting. And this is how we decided to make the apartment feel like home to us (or well mostly for Issac).
Living rom in the evening. The big picture on the wall is from IKEA. Lamp from Walmart. Sofa from an antique store in Harrisburg, and the end table, bookshelves and the glass bowl where donated to us.
Living room during the day
Dining and study place. We bought the table and the chairs in an antique store in Harrisburg too. It is actually six chairs, but we couldn't fit more than four in the truck when we moved here. So two is left at the host family's place.
A closer picture on the pictures above the table. We bought them from Lowe's (a hardware store in Philadelphia), and they were really cheap! Perfect for people like us on a low budget.
A white shower curtain was included in the apartment but we changed it anyway to a curtain we got from the host family. It's prettier!
The bedroom in the evening. The host family gave us a bed frame too, but when we where packing things and preparing to move here, we missed to bring some parts of the frame so we can't use it yet. So for now it's just box spring and mattress on the floor. (Americans always have box springs under the mattress, unlike us in Sweden who usually just put the mattress on top of the bed frame.) The mattress and the box springs we bought new for a quite good price, and the small end table we bought at IKEA. The lamp and the quilt + pillows we got from the host family, and the picture on the wall (a poster of Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night") we bought here in Philadelphia.
Drawer in the bedroom during day light. Bought it from the same antique store as the table.
So this is Issac's home from now on!
Finally, internet in the apartment.
Whew, we have had some busy days trying to make the apartment to feel like a home and arrange everything. It took awhile to get internet too, or rather, to recieve the package with the router. The delivering company (UPS) only came here to put up a note on the front door of the apartment building and then left. It took us some days to see the note and to realize we have to sign it to get our package. But signing it is to agree that UPS can just drop of the package on the street outside the apartment building, and if someone picks it up before us it won't be their responsibility. So we tried to put up notes on the front door telling UPS to call us when they come, so we could run down, sign the note, and get the package in our hands. But we got no phone call. A neighboor lady told us that the UPS guy did try call us with the front door phone, but hung up before the call even connected. So we simply decided to go to their customer service instead and pick up our package there. The customer service is just outside the city center but it takes about on hour to get there with bus.
One good thing though was that the customer service is located right next to IKEA, Walmart and other furniture stores so we could get some more stuff to our apartment while we were there. Now we almost have it all done like how we want it in our apartment. We just need to buy one light bulb with more white light for one of the roof lamps so we have enough light when we study.
So for now I will upload pictures of how the apartment looked liek right after we got the keys. Then after we got the light bulb tomorrow and have cleaned up a little bit, I will upload pictures of how it looks like with the furniture and all.
The living room/dining room
Picture taken from the opposite side, showing the hallway. The lamp/fan in the roof was included.
Kitchen
Small window in the kitchen
The door to the left side is the bathroom and to the right is a built in wardrobe. Right ahead is the bedroom.
Bathroom
Bedroom. The first night we slept on an air mattress.
Opposite side
The walls have recently been painted and the floor recently waxed to hide whatever scratches/signs the last person who lived here might have done. They didn't do a too great job with it, but it's ok. Better than them not doing it at all I guess. The apartment is 70 square meters by the way.
Utkast: Aug. 03, 2013
Yesterday (Thursday) we went on a road trip to Washington DC and saw the maun buildings around there. Today (Friday) we took the bus to Philadelphia and got the key to Issac's apartment. We have an air mattress to sleep on in the apartment for the night, and tomorrow the host family will drive to here with all our furniture. Thing is, we dont have wifi yet so I'm
at the train station.... I will update the blogg later on when we get internet. Till then, see you!
at the train station.... I will update the blogg later on when we get internet. Till then, see you!
What we do around the house...
Since you can't get anywhere without a car here, and since the hostfamily are all working now, we are mostly staying home. So what are we doing around the house? Well nothing much. But I did get to see my boyfriend gaining one more point in becoming an adult - he learned how do mown the lawn! You know, he has mostly been living in apartment or dorms where you don't have to care about the grass outside.
Looking cool! (And proud he finally succeded with manuvering the lawnmower. There was some jerky moments in the beginning, hehe.)
We also spray painted two bookshelf that was given to us. The original colour was grey/silver-ish.
Tadaaa!!
And last but not least, we are keeping the host family's dog company. She's called Molly and is a very nice dog, except for this morning when she somehow escaped the house and went running around and barking until the neighboor brought her back to our house. Dogs...
The land of (unhealthy) snacks!
Well there is no secret that Americans like to eat, and that they don't seem to be too concerned whether it's healthy snacks or not. I too love to eat and try different kinds of snacks, so I have gathered some pictures of interesting snacks.
First of all, almond snickers! I've only seen peanut snickers before, this almond kind might only be sold in the States. Anyway, it's good!
Next one, Custard Ice cream! As you can see in the picture, crushed and flavored ice drink (called Italian ice) and a frozen sweetened mix of milk and egg yolks in the buttom and top.
There is some interesting flavors for the ice. Swedish fish is jelly candies in the shape of fish owned by Malaco, a Swedish candy company. I chosed mango flavor though.
And the result! Top part- chocolate custard, mid part- mango flavored Italian ice, and bottom part is vanilla custard.
The third snack is the wierdest. Well, you all know Americans love bacon. They really LOVE it. So much they dip the bacon in chocolate and eat it as a snack!!!! I don't recommend this snack....didn't taste that great.
Funnel cake! What it is? Just take a look at the pictures below
The making of the funnel cake
Dough being fried...
Can't say it's healty!
Tada! Finished of with some powder sugar on top. It was pretty good.
And lastly, another kind of ice cream - frozen yogurt. We went to this store called Frozen Lama and it soon became my favorite. The reason is simple, you can try each frozen yogurt flavor for free!!!! There are small cups out and no attendant is staring at you, so it's just to go ahead and try as much as you want!! Hehe! I tried most of the flavors and then filled a cup with my favorites. Strawberry flavor, expresso and chocolate mix flavor and mango flavor. After filling the cup with the yogurt, there is a lot of topping to choose from. Candy, nuts, chocolate, fruits etc. The cubes on top of mine in the picture below is Mochi, Japanese rice cake.
Tubing!
"Annika, have you ever been tubing?"
"...What does tubing mean?"
"Oh it's a... big thing you sit on in the water, and then you go down along the creek"
"Like kayaking?"
"Uuuuh... kind of but without a paddle"
"Then how do you control it???"
Our conversation was something like this when they told me for the first time about "tubing". I just couldn't figure out what it was. But it didn't stop me from going along and try it. Tubing is what they call it when you sit on a big tube or swim ring and then just float on a river or creek. As you saw on the last blog post, there is a creek nearby Issac's college. From where I took a pictures last time, it goes away from the school and then makes a u-shape and comes back to the other side of the campus. So we borrowed tubes from the host family and went to his school.
"...What does tubing mean?"
"Oh it's a... big thing you sit on in the water, and then you go down along the creek"
"Like kayaking?"
"Uuuuh... kind of but without a paddle"
"Then how do you control it???"
Our conversation was something like this when they told me for the first time about "tubing". I just couldn't figure out what it was. But it didn't stop me from going along and try it. Tubing is what they call it when you sit on a big tube or swim ring and then just float on a river or creek. As you saw on the last blog post, there is a creek nearby Issac's college. From where I took a pictures last time, it goes away from the school and then makes a u-shape and comes back to the other side of the campus. So we borrowed tubes from the host family and went to his school.
The water was cool and I can see why they do this on a hot summer day. It was quite relaxing for most of the times too, just floating around. But you had to watch out so that the streams doesn't take you to the edges or so that you don't hit any rocks with your butt.
They call this bridge "Swinging bridge". Apparently it swings a bit when you walk on it.
Fancy houses nearby the creek.
It got a little bit too cold for me so I managed to make myself sit more on top the tube instead of letting my buttom be in the water. It also saved me from hitting stones. Issac hit one though with his....heheh...
Yoga style
The water got a bit too shallow at some places so I had to get up and walk.
And at other places the stream was strong and the speed went up. Here I'm working hard not to let the stream take me to the creekside where there are rocks.
It's hard and it takes a lot of concentration sometimes, so you won't fall into the water. At least for a beginner like me. Wow, I didn't know I could make a face like this!!! Haha...
Made it! Without falling!
This is a popular tree to climb up on and jump off from. It also has a rope which people use to swing themselves into the water. We didn't try it though because the people there were a bit loud and unfriendly I thought. And just as we were passing by under the tree a man jumped off and landed a meter away from me, making us soaked! Luckily we had put the camera in the plastic bag when we got closer.
The dog had its own tube. Altough didn't seemed like he wanted to stay there.
Another rapid! Up with the butt and keep the balance!
Tubing was fun, it took about one and a half hour until we reached the place were we got off at. I didn't not like that place, it was the "secret passage" for Messiah students and what you had to do was climbing from the tube up on this tree, and then carefully walk on the three to the ground.
The tree was wet and I was a bit scared I would slip and fall. The water was quite shallow there but the bottom was awfully muddy and I didn't want to turn into a swamp monster by falling into the mud.
And I didn't fall! Yay!
Do people go tubing in Sweden? I've seen people sitting in tubes that's behind a motorboat, or sitting in several people in a big inflatable boat going down a quite steep stream. Have any of you done something similar? Tell me about it!
Messiah College
Some pictures of Messiah College, the school where my boyfriend studied and lived at for four years and now graduated from. It's out in the countryside but the surrounding nature offer much to do such as kayaking, hill climbing, hicking etc.
The main building
Exercise hall
One of the cafeterias
Dorms
Farmland for biology students
In the back there is solar panel for engineering students
This is for frisbeegolf. You stand in the middle and throw frisbees towards this cage thing, and as you hit it the chains will rattle, letting you know you really did hit it.
One of the professors' house. If you are an outstanding student, you can live there for one semester (and obviously it's nicer than the dorms). Guess who got the chance to live there for awhile?
Study place in the library
School chapel
Posing
Architect drawing of the school from 1945
Interesting art.... looks like it's gonna collapse!
The creek
The building for art and music majors
Some of the art students exam work. Wow, they're good!! The one who painted the first painting is a friend of Issac, and she has only been painting for two years! Must be a god given talent, I always liked drawing but I'm nowhere as good as her or any of these students as a matter of fact.
So what were we doing at the school? Studying of course! Issac is preparing for the CPA test, the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination. His job requires him to pass the test within two years if he wants to work there. And I'm preparing for the GRE, the standardize test students must take to apply for master studies in the States. It includes many convulted, yet eloquent words that only the most erudite individuals would use. And math....aaaah it's tough...
Cheer us on and wish us luck!
